I want one of those guys who can move around the interior. I think we keep Mankins and I am comfortable with Connolly now, but we still need a center. Having a guy who offers some versatility would be very nice.

How do you guys like OG David DeCastro from Standford? I just made a mock on another site where our two first rounds went like this:

Ryan Kerrigan
Michael Floyd
David DeCastro
Lee Ziemba

How does this look to you? I think DeCastro is a good fit for us, but I haven't seen enough of him. Does he has a real mean streak? I want offensive linemen who goes for the knockout on every play, but his talent is undeniable. I have this feeling that he'll declare if Luck does.

Centers and guards can be had much later. DeCastro, never heard of him as a guard or center. 2nd round pick, don't think so.

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Sleeper alert; Thomas Keiser declared. I really liked him last year with his hand on the ground, but he had an adjustment year playing LB in Stanford's new scheme. He also dealt with some injuries. At 6'5 244 pounds, he has the type of size we look for in a OLB. He actually lost a lot of weight to play LB this year and looked much better close to 260 last year. With a good program, he could get up to that weight by this time next year and hopefully stay in good shape and retain the quickness he gained by playing 15 pounds lighter. Defiantly a buy low type of guy who has familiarity with playing in an NFL style system and program. Smart, high character guy like most Stanford player too. Will likely be available in the 4th or 5th round, but could rise a bit with good offseason workouts and depending on how he looks in drills.

Also; looking at the center class, I'm not sure the guy we're looking for exists this year. The guy we need is pretty rare, actually. Given our emphasis on pulling, getting to the second level, and being light on your feet, I'm not sure there's anyone who can do all that and be a significant upgrade over Koppen in terms of dealing with NT's. Pouncey can do all that and be a strong interior presence, but his issues with snapping are well documented. Wisniewski is inconsistent with his initial punch and looks like he could be bull rushed a bit by bigger guys at the next level. O'Dowd is a guy I really like in terms of strength, but his injury history is something to be concerned about and he has some technical issues of his own.

Sleeper alert; Thomas Keiser declared. I really liked him last year with his hand on the ground, but he had an adjustment year playing LB in Stanford's new scheme. He also dealt with some injuries. At 6'5 244 pounds, he has the type of size we look for in a OLB. He actually lost a lot of weight to play LB this year and looked much better close to 260 last year. With a good program, he could get up to that weight by this time next year and hopefully stay in good shape and retain the quickness he gained by playing 15 pounds lighter. Defiantly a buy low type of guy who has familiarity with playing in an NFL style system and program. Smart, high character guy like most Stanford player too. Will likely be available in the 4th or 5th round, but could rise a bit with good offseason workouts and depending on how he looks in drills.

Also; looking at the center class, I'm not sure the guy we're looking for exists this year. The guy we need is pretty rare, actually. Given our emphasis on pulling, getting to the second level, and being light on your feet, I'm not sure there's anyone who can do all that and be a significant upgrade over Koppen in terms of dealing with NT's. Pouncey can do all that and be a strong interior presence, but his issues with snapping are well documented. Wisniewski is inconsistent with his initial punch and looks like he could be bull rushed a bit by bigger guys at the next level. O'Dowd is a guy I really like in terms of strength, but his injury history is something to be concerned about and he has some technical issues of his own.

Damn you EE, I just edited my sig! ****, I'm too lazy to do it again. I really like Keiser but I thought he was only a sophomore for some reason. Also, he looks bigger than 244 lbs to me. Maybe I confused with their LB Skov, who also looks like a good prospect. On the matter of the centers, I agree. But I'd still take Wisniewski over Koppen right now. I've been critical of Koppen since the 2008 season, and even though he's played fine this year I want a new center. But I'm ready to let BB break my heart as he does every april.

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Quote:

Originally Posted by ElectricEye

I'm a whiny little kunt. Feel sorry for me as I go masturbate to a picture of my mom dressed as a teletubby.

i honestly think Pouncey will be looked at very hard by the patriots. he has documented versatility, which is HUGE, on our line, and can play G or C.... Pouncey does do everything we ask for, and does it very well. Remember, he has only been playing C for a year, and his bad snapping can be fixed once he starts working with Dante. I think we are all overlooking Pouncey. If you ask me, hes a slam dunk, and its not just that im a Gators fan. Watch the PennSt-Florida game. He was dominant, and he looked like a Pats OL pancaking people and leading the way on screens.

If Rodney Hudson can put on 15-20 lbs without losing his athleticism, pick 32/33 will be an easy one to predict: Rodney Hudson, OL, Florida State.

Hudson is the most technically sound OL to come out of college in years. If he had Mike Pouncey's body, he'd be a top 15 lock and it wouldn't blow me away to see him in the top 10. Sadly, he's had weight conditioning issues and some minor injury concerns, not to mention his relatively small build (6-2, 285).

He's an ideal ZBS G/C prospect who could easily replace any of our interior OL.

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Pouncey's shotgun abilities scare me. He needs to step his snapping ability if he wants to start
If Hudson shows up with more weight and still produces well at the combine drills, then I'd like him.
...but so will 31 other teams as well

As much as Patriots fans won't want to hear it (if he puts on the weight and still performs the drills), he would be the 17th overall pick if he is available.

edit: He fits all of the Patriots requirements for a first round pick if he receives the first round grade (his size may hold him back). Pouncey is a work in progress at snapping the ball and he's not the best pass protector. He will likely receive a late first round grade or a 2nd round one.

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I think the question to ask every time is if he's truly better than Koppen. We shouldn't be looking for a similar player who is younger, but someone who can handle the large NT's who currently dominate the AFC East. I know Hudson gets fantastic leverage and is strong for his size. Heck, I'm even confident he can get up to 290+ before the draft...but can he stick in the AFC East? I'm not sure. The value at 17 is pretty horrible too.

I think when you lose it seems like there are holes all over the place. I personally would like to see upgrades at WR and OLB where guys just arent fooling anyone when you get down to the last handful of teams in the playoffs. It wouldnt kill me to see some combination of these guys out of the draft:

Patriots positions that will be open competitions as of now:
WR 1 - The basic reason the Jets did what they did on defense is because the Patriots lack that big play-making threat on offense. It's not just about being able to get deep. It's about being able to get open at will. It's about forcing the coverage into a zone scheme. It's about being able to get a first down just about any time you want. The Patriots lost this when Randy Moss decided to leave (in 2009. . . )

C - Dan Koppen is responsible for a large amount of the pressure that got to Brady.

RG - Dan Connolly is a backup (like I was saying in mid-season after he was playing so badly at LG)

RT - When (hopefully) Vollmer moves to LT, someone will have to take this spot.

DE (Ty Warren will likely win one of them) - Ron Brace, Gerard Warren, Brandon Deaderick, and everyone else that played "30" front 34 DE this year do not belong starting on a team this talented. The line was an abortion at times. They failed to control the LOS regularly. They are the bulk of the reason the Patriots run defense isn't one of the top 5 in the NFL. The cut-back lanes they leave open are wide enough for an 18 wheeler to drive through. This is easily one of the top 2 needs on this team.

UT (nickel packages) - This team can't rush the passer for ****. The fact they lead the NFL in interceptions is purely the result of outstanding CB play from McCourty and some good safety play from Chung (albeit some lucky play, but being in the right position helps... cough Meriweather cough).

OLB - This couldn't be more painful obvious how bad this group is. They can't get to the QB. They can't hold the edge. The only thing they do right is backside pressure.

CB 3 - I think Devin McCourty is what every Patriots fan thought Darius Butler was going to be. Too bad he's going to be competing for a roster spot next year. With 3 CBs already better than him and my huge lobbying to bring in a 4th and maybe even draft a 5th... can we seriously believe he won't be needing to step his game up big time?

S - Brandon Meriweather's days are numbered. I'm sure he's a nice guy and all, but he probably leads the league in busted coverages and bad angles to the ball carrier.

FB - Sammy Morris is a solid player, but I just don't think his tank has much left. I'm a huge proponent of drafting a guy like Owen Marecic or Stanley Havili.

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